+ How the World Championship qualification works
Europe has 16 of the total 48 places in the football World Championship in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in the summer of 2026. The twelve group winners in the qualification get a direct place. The twelve group seconds play in the spring a playoff for the last four places and then get company from four nations that won their group in the Nations League (NL) the previous spring. It's about four NL group winners who failed to finish first or second in their World Championship qualification group.
+ Group victory almost impossible
Sweden has one point and is already eight points behind Switzerland. Even if Sweden takes full points in the three remaining matches, it will take something extra to reach first place.
On Monday, Sweden will face Kosovo in Gothenburg. The World Championship qualification ends with an away match against Switzerland (November 15, Geneva) and a home match against Slovenia (November 18, Solna).
+ Second place and playoff
Sweden's chance to grab a second place in the group – and thus be guaranteed to play the World Championship playoff in March – can still be considered relatively good. Not least since Blågult play two of their three remaining matches at home.
+ Third or fourth place and playoff
If Sweden continues to fail in the autumn qualification, there is, at best, a last lifeline thanks to the Nations League.
Blågult was ranked as the tenth best NL group winner, but only four get to play the playoff. This means that at least six of the better-ranked NL winners must finish top two in their World Championship qualification group for the lifeline to be available to Sweden.
The lifeline can already be secured during the ongoing World Championship gathering. Norway, England, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Czech Republic can already fix a direct place in the World Championship or at worst a second place in their groups. The other NL winners ranked before Sweden are Germany, Wales, and Romania.
+ How the playoff works
In the playoff, the 16 teams are drawn into four paths where semifinals and finals are played, both in single matches. The highest-ranked team plays at home. The venue for the final is drawn. Both matches are played in March.
+ The second place is important anyway
Even if Sweden can get a lifeline via the Nations League, it's better to take a place in the playoff as a group second to get as easy an opponent as possible in the semifinal.
The NL teams are placed in the fourth and worst drawing pot – the world ranking in November is used to place the World Championship qualification seconds in the other three pots, which consist of four teams each. Teams from pot 1 are drawn against teams from pot 4 – teams from pot 2 and 3 are drawn against each other.
Carl Göransson/TT
Daniel Kihlström/TT
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
Facts: Countries clear for the 2026 football World Championship
TT
A total of 48 football national teams will play in the men's World Championship in the summer of 2026 – 20 places are already booked:
Asia (8 direct places): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan (debutant), South Korea, Uzbekistan (debutant).
Africa (9): Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria.
South America (6): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.
North and Central America and the Caribbean (6): USA, Mexico, Canada (host nations).
Oceania: New Zealand.
Europe (16): No team is clear yet.
Six national teams from Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania, and North and Central America and the Caribbean will compete in a playoff in March for two World Championship places.
